Water pump for water changes question.

[CanuckGame]

Hey everyone, so the water pressure out of my tap is VERY poor, a python does work, but it takes FOREVER and id rather not waste the ammount of water that i do during the siphoning process. by forever, i mean it takes 45 mins to drain 50% in a 75 gallon tank.

i was thinking about investing in a submersable water pump, to make this whole process faster so i can be alot more comfortable about doing my daily water changes. i would have the tube spit the water into my bathtub, or into my yard.

what are the pros and cons of using a water pump for water changes? ive never used one before.


also i have a thin layer of sand as my substrate, will this effect my plans any? i only plan on doing 50-75% WC daily or every other day, so maybe i can build a little pedestal for the pump to sit on, so its not sitting on the bottom and not sucking up sand during my WC? will this work?

thanks for any advice.

[Keith Perkins]

In my mind the disadvantage is the cost of the pump and noise, speed is the definite plus along with more options of what to do with the waste water. A small pedestal would definitely work to keep your sand from being sucked up.

[sdrexler078]

Check out jehmco they have a nice pump with pvc pipes that you just hook a hose to. I use it but now I need a bigger pump

[rickztahone]

Most pumps come with suction cups. You can place it on a side glass so that it doesn't suck up any sand.

[OC Discus]

I've bought two different pumps for this purpose. The problem with draining with a pump if you have sand is debris build up over time. The pump will suck up sand. With bare bottom a self priming pump can be used to vacuum. You can get a water hose adapter to connect a vac tube to a 6' hose. Prime the pump by filling the 6' hose w water. Submerge the tube horizontally so it doesn't drain. Put the other end in bathtub. Turn on pump and vacuum away. I have a seperate pump and hose for refilling the tank. Much faster and no wasted water.


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[CanuckGame]

thanks for the replies guys!

OCDISCUS: May i ask what you mean by Debris building up over time? do you mean cause the pump wont be able to pick up poo and leftover food that is stuck in the sand?

what my plans were, was every 2nd water change i would use my regular gravel vacuum siphon, and manually clean the sand and fill up a 5 gallon bucket and just empty that manually, then use the pump for the remaining 30-40 gallons of water that needs to be removed. would this work?

does anyone have any recommendations on a decent pump that will last me a long time? i like the suction cup idea, would be nice to find one of those! my only concern is not having sand get sucked up!

[kwan8911]

I put the pump inline with a 25 ft python, definitely speed up the draining. It takes around 20 mins to drain 80gal water


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[rickztahone]

You can always start the drain with a submersible pump, remove the hose off the pump and then just use the hose to siphon the debris out.

[CanuckGame]

http://i58.tinypic.com/2qvctia.jpg

just so im sure

Green circle- where the water enters
Red circle- Where the hose is attached and water comes out.

So if im right, there is no way sand would get sucked up with the input being 2 or 3 inches off the substrate?

this is the one im considering

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4587+4604&pcatid=4604

1250 Hobby Pump
320 gph with a max head of 6.5 feet at 28 watts. Input 16/22 mm, output 12/16 mm.

Should have enough juice to pump the water to my tub fast.

[Pancho]

I will check the faucet where the water is coming so poor, it could be only clog. As far on draining the tank I use 1 1/2" ID hose to empty my 125g and it does approximately 80 gallons in 10 minutes, just put some water in hose then one end in tank and the other where the waste is going to be dispose and let gravity do the work!

[CHEMAC]

I use a old 405 powehead works great.

[Skip]

I used a fountain pump from home depot hooked up python to it
. .. think it wads $30

[DiscusLoverJeff]

If you buy one of these pumps from Jehmco, you can adjust the height to the desired depth that you want so it doesn't touch your substrate.

http://www.jehmco.com/html/safety_siphon_aquarium_drain.html

I bought this 3 years ago and still use it now. I don't use it for draining a tank, I use it to fill tanks from my holding barrels. The only thing I did was extend the pipe to reach the bottom so I can pump 95% of the water out. To extend the pipe cost my $7.00.

It works well for what you need. No need to buy expensive pumps.

[OC Discus]

Canuck

Yes, when I was vacuuming sand with the pump I was not able to do a deep vac or it would suck the sand out. Over time stuff will build up and coat the sand, including brown algae. When I vacuum without the pump it takes the whole time just to clean the sand. Surface cleaning was never sufficient to prevent a buildup on the sand. This might not be a problem if doing 50% wc daily. I'm using a purigen reactor to keep water clean longer, but the brown algae will grow even when normal tests are good because of stuff coating the sand. Bare bottom allows for almost 100% of debris to be removed each vac. It also allows you to vac with a pump, speeding up the process.


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[Loosir]

I have the same issue, a new water saving faucet creates almost so suction. I run my python into the toilet, since the bottom of my tank is about 36 inches off the ground and the toilet bowl is only 12 or so, gravity pulls the water just fine and I don't use a drop of water to get it out. This obviously only works if you have a bathroom near by, I run a 25 foot hose through my hallway.